Answers from the gym

I have changed over the years from a person who shunned the word to gym to a person who uses one.  Frequently :(.  Much to my chagrin, you can't eat nachos and enjoy your clothes as they are without working really, really hard and making yourself super uncomfortable to sweat the nachos off.  And nachos are delicious.  As well as burritos, and wine.  And many other items I still eat.  But that isn't what I'm advising on today.  The gym this weekend had the essential keeping-me-from-quitting tool - at handy television screen inside the stair climber that I use to keep myself from quitting my workout after 2 minutes.  I need accountability people.  And distraction.  Lots and lots of distraction.  Then, I have a much higher chance of staying for longer than 2 minutes and actually breaking a sweat.    On the television, I happened upon an incredible program that introduced me to an incredibly enlightened speaker.  Prem Rawat.  

He shared something that I really enjoyed and thought I'd re-share.

You get good at what you practice.

If you practice anger, you get good at anger

If you practice peace and love, you get better at peace and love.

http://www.premrawat.com/

Its not a new idea, it is something we know, and yet, when stated so simply by someone else, it resonated.  This idea is found in directives throughout literature, self help, religion, social media, and pinterest for crying out loud, but hearing it again, it struck me.  Stop practicing worry.  Stop practicing gossip, stop practicing judgment and practice instead peace.  Practice joy.  Practice kindness.  Practice the qualities you aspire to have more of.  

So my stair climbing experience was pretty exciting.  I was able to be joyful, and excited while doing something I usually am less than joyful about.  Here is hoping reading this will have a similar affect on you, or someone you share it with!

The miracle

I have heard it said that the experience of being pregnant is the closest that a human being can ever come to being a part of a miracle. When I think about how incredible it is that cells get together, multiply and divide and ultimately create a human baby with every cell doing just what it is supposed to do - in typical cases - then it is hard to disagree. However, after the parenting day I have had so far (and it is only 3pm) I would like to propose that love is the closest we can come to being a part of a miracle.

Loving your children, your spouse, your FAMILY, or even your friends in spite of all of the trials, hurts, behavior problems, mistakes, unkind words or disconnects you may have; to me, is truly miraculous. At church a few weeks ago, the speaker said that in couples therapy appointments, when one member of a couple can say " You are still the one I want to be with" then, he knows he is on the path towards healing with a couple. As a parent, my love for my children has certainly been tested, but of course always wins. As hard as it is to give them my very best all of the time, my love for them is greater than I ever could have imagined before they came into my life.

When you consider Love, you have to recognize the miraculous forms of it. It calls us to be the very best versions of ourselves. It draws us together to build families and communities. It allows us to be charitable to one another and to see each other in the best light possible. It compels us to do things we never thought we would do or could do. Though being pregnant was certainly incredible on an emotional, scientific, and spiritual level, I still think love brings me a lot closer to the miraculous.